Ok, Basically the question is "What is the best way to come to a stop." Is it...

A - Put the clutch in, take the car out of gear, then let clutch out and approach stop while braking.

-OR-

B - Put in clutch, leave car IN gear (lets say second) and then apply brake untill stopped.

Side A will argue that their way is better, because by leaving the clutch in, you're putting a lot of extra pressure onto your pressure plate. Side B argues that technique A is too hard on your brakes. So, i guess although both sides have their reasoning, WHICH IS BEST??

 

The best way is to use the gears to slow yourself but you should never slip it out of gear and just use the brake. If someone to rearend you and you got knocked out your car would keep rolling and cause more accidents. I heard that from the DMV people, they said if you want to drive it like and automatic then sell it and get one.

 

Ugh, wouldnt it be worse if the car was in gear while i was knocked out? Seems to me a rolling car in neutral will do much less damage than a car lurching in gear...


And just so you know, its not laziness or convenience thats driving my curiousity... Its the fact that i dont want to put any excess stress on the clutch/tranny region.

 

I heard that by leaving the car in gear with the clutch in slowly chips away at the clutch teeth causing the life of your clutch to diminish. I've always just took it out of gear. I figure brake pads are a hell of a lot cheaper than a clutch or transmission

Yeah, but they'll also tell you to drive the speed limit.

 

I agree with LEVIII, leave the clutch out and use the gears to help slow you down. That way it slows you down faster, safer, and easier on your braking system.

 

what the hell do you mean "leave the clutch out" and use the gears?? I hope you mean clutch in, put in second, let clutch out. But doesn't that just rev the **** outta the engine? THats how i drive when i'm on the track, but not daily driving.

 

its best to down shift to stop to put less work in the brake pads. but i just use the brakes because of the fact of some how messing up the tranny or anything involed in it. i've work on so many trannys and i hate each one i do cause its the biggest pain in the *** so i just use the brakes cause changing the brake pads is easier then removing the tranny.

 

i do down shift to stop but when i am at a stop i take it out of gear .... wrong or right thats what i do...

 

its all pretty normal use of the car, nothing anyone has mentioned is excessive, so it comes down to what you prefer. personally, i hold the pedal down and coast to a stop, using the brakes when i need too. i chose this over gearing down to save a bit of wear on the motor, and at 2.60 a gallon, i am trying to conserve as much fuel as possible. when i am consistently downshifting to slow myself, i notice my fuel economy drops an average of about 2-3 mpg, so its way better to replace the brake pads more often than pay for the extra gas. and i have lifetime warranty carbon-metallic pads from Autozone, so its FREE to use my brakes to slow me down. well, i guess the rotors will wear a little faster, but it still takes so long to wear out a rotor that its not a big deal.

 

Coming up to light I usually slip it into nuetral and then go all brakes. At the light I Usually slip it into first when the left turners are about ahlf way through.